


we don't really want a monster taking over

by singing_to_shipwreck



Category: What We Do in the Shadows (TV)
Genre: Chess, Existential Angst, I don't know how to tag this, M/M, More in the notes, Nothing Sexual, Rated for dark themes, Weirdness, a mouse in distress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:34:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28534494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/singing_to_shipwreck/pseuds/singing_to_shipwreck
Summary: I'm gonna go to sleepLet this wash all over meGuillermo's journey in moments
Relationships: Guillermo de la Cruz/Nandor the Relentless
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14





	we don't really want a monster taking over

**Author's Note:**

> This is so bizarre. 
> 
> I don't know how to tag, because I don't want to spoil anything, but like. It's dark, and since writing I've sort of been sucked into a pit of existential dread. See end notes for a couple more specific tags/warnings if you're tentative. Everything is very vague.

Everything hurts.

♗♔♕♘♙

“I think I’ll buy this one,” he murmurs to himself, standing in front of the great big house. “Plenty of room for me and for the kids.” 

“The kids?” his sister asks, shoving her hands in her pockets. “You’re going to have kids?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

“I don’t think so,” she says, walking away. 

She moves down the sidewalk and stops in front of the next great big house. He shuffles to meet her. 

“I think I’ll buy this one,” Guillermo settles on.

“It’s the same as the last one.”

“Yeah. Plenty of room for me and for the kids.”

♗♔♕♘♙

"Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me," he sings quietly, out of tune. "Are you sure you don't want any?" he asks as he cuts into the cake. 

"I'm sure." 

He takes a bite. His stomach does somersaults. "This is disgusting," he admits. 

It doesn’t taste like anything at all. 

"I'm sorry," Nandor laments, sneaking a glance across the hall. "I tried." 

♗♔♕♘♙

His amá looks up to the sky, and her face is the sky. Her face is clouds and sun and blue and rain and ice and sleet and snow and bloom and burn and sun and blue and rain and ice. “It’s going to happen soon, Memo.”

“ _What’s_ going to happen?”

She smiles wistfully. “Oh. _Oh._ You don’t know yet, do you, mi pequeño? You’ll know soon.” 

“I want to know now.”

“I know. I know.” 

He looks at her for a long time. "You look so beautiful like this. Can I take a picture? I don't want to forget."

She hesitates but nods. 

He taps at his phone. Nothing happens. He powers it down and then up again. Still nothing happens. "Damn screen is broken," he mutters. "And I really wanted to take your picture."

"I hope you still want a picture tomorrow." 

"Why wouldn't I?"

♗♔♕♘♙

"Where did you go just then, Guillermo?" 

They sit at a chess board. 

The cake is on the floor. There is a big, black fly in the frosting, smudging out the second _p_ in happy. 

It doesn’t matter now, anyways. 

Guillermo doesn't move. Neither does Nandor.

"I don't know what you mean. I've been sitting here this whole time." 

" _Yes_ , but where did you go?" 

Guillermo looks across the hall, down its expanse. "Not down there, I don't think."

Nandor's shoulders are coiled. "It's your turn."

Guillermo nods. He appraises the board but doesn't touch. 

♗♔♕♘♙

There’s a little mouse scampering along the pavement. “Look, amá,” he says, pointing to the tiny thing. “A little mouse.” 

She frowns at him. There’s sympathy in her eyes. 

Guillermo scoops up the little mouse. The mouse squeaks, high pitched and wailing, and spins, over and over and over again, making little circles on his palm. 

“You don’t have to be scared,” he urges. 

“Doesn’t it?” 

“I don’t think it does.”

“Put it down.”

“But I want to-”

The mouse screams again. Guillermo sets it back down on the pavement. 

♗♔♕♘♙

“Fucking… shit,” Guillermo grits. His hands should be fire where the ropes scrape. He drags it across the floor. 

“Shh,” the boy in the corner whispers. “You’ll wake him.”

“Sure,” Guillermo brings his voice to a hush. “Wouldn’t want to do that.”

Doe eyes bear into him. Color is drained from the boy's rosy, golden face. “You’re him.”

Oh. That hadn’t occurred to him. “Maybe.”

“I’m scared. I don’t want to wake you.”

“That’s okay. I’m scared, too.”

“Monsters can't be afraid of the dark. That’s where they like to be.”

“Maybe.” 

♗♔♕♘♙

His undershirt sticks. He sighs and looks over at the hall. "I'm sorry," he mutters, rubbing at his sweat-soaked skin. "This is embarrassing."

"Yes, it is, but I understand." Nandor picks up a rook, frowns, and sets it back where it was. 

"I don't know where all of this is coming from," Guillermo explains, and he rubs so hard the fabric tears underneath, disintegrating like paper. "There's just so much. I don't know where it's coming from."

"Where does any of it come from?"

"I don't know. Will I ever know?"

"Probably not. But perhaps one day we will figure it out together." 

"That sounds like a lot of work." He glances to the other side of the hall. "It seems nice over there. Warm."

"I forbid you from looking again."

"You forbid me."

"Yes."

"What's down there?" The hallway stretches into dark and light and fear and the absence of fear. Warm. 

"I don't know. I'm not welcome. You might not be welcome either." 

"Well, have you asked nicely?" 

Nandor stares into the hallway, his face impossibly blank. "Once or twice." 

♗♔♕♘♙

His amá puts the keys in the ignition, and the car roars to life. 

"Sorry, mijo," she says. "The car won't start. We can't go today."

He laughs. "The car is on."

"No." She looks at him seriously. "The car won't start." 

With nimble fingers she switches the car off, pushes the metal key into Guillermo's hand, and guides it back to the starter. 

Guillermo twists and the car sputters, sputters, sputters and then fails. 

" _See_? The car won't start." 

♗♔♕♘♙

Guillermo picks up his king and moves it to the center of the board. 

“That’s checkmate,” Nandor says. 

“Oh? Is it?” 

“I think so. All of these rooks.” 

“Oh.” 

“Do not play dumb, Guillermo. Why would you do that?”

The king topples over. “I don’t want to play anymore.” He looks down the hall. “I think I am going to go down the hall now.”

Nandor shakes as he returns Guillermo’s king back to its place. “No. You cannot.”

“I think that I should.” 

“I could kiss you,” Nandor offers. The pieces scatter. “I could kiss you, but you have to promise you won’t go down the hall.”

Guillermo blinks at him. “Kiss me?”

“Yes.” Nandor leans over and does it. 

“I won’t go down the hall, then.” 

“Okay, good,” Nandor says. “Play again while we wait?”

♗♔♕♘♙

He stirs awake and shivers. “Water,” he whispers. His mouth is dry, so dry, and his throat is on fire. “I need water.” 

The light comes. An involuntary hiss shakes his frame. His teeth rattle with it as he bares them, his toes curling in his shoes, his fingers coiling up so tight his bones scrape and his nails dig into his palms. “The light,” he gasps. 

“You’ll get used to it,” Nandor murmurs, sitting beside him. He reaches for Guillermo’s hand, holding it tightly. “I thought I might have done something wrong, Guillermo. I was worried.”

“I’m sorry,” Guillermo rasps, clutching to Nandor’s grip, steady and warm. He doesn’t know what he’s apologizing for. “Can I have some water?”

Nandor cocks his head. “I’m not sure how to explain any of this to you, Guillermo,” he says slowly. 

“Try,” Guillermo begs. “Please try. Try so I won't regret not going down the hall.” 

"What hall?" 

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings:  
> hallucinations  
> vague allusions to being on the brink of life and death  
> more vague allusions heaven and/or hell


End file.
